The first time I dealt with a well known engraver, he gave me the following advice. "Don't prepay for work to be done by any artist. Work that is already paid for may sit on the shelf, while work that gets paid for when completed will get completed." Makes sense to me. I've often thought our system would work better if the unemployed would receive a percentage of their benefits while searching for a new job, and the remainder when they get hired.

LCSMITH